The Recurring Cast
Character guide · 27 books · 1987 to 2024 · Set in Edinburgh

Ian Rankin

Crime and mysteryPolice procedural

John Rebus has worked Edinburgh’s murders since 1987, ageing in real time with his city. Siobhan Clarke rises from his junior to his successor, Big Ger Cafferty is never far away, and Malcolm Fox crosses over from his own two novels.

Best estimate, compiled from series guides, publisher descriptions and reviews where available, and from memory otherwise. Book level only, not chapter level. Minor includes cameos and brief references. Each book carries a confidence rating in its tooltip. Rankin’s standalones and the novels written as Jack Harvey are left out.

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Who appears in which book

Click a name to follow that character from book to book, or a book title to see its cast.

LLeadMMajor·MinorHas a note
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Ian Rankin books in order

Each series in publication order, with its lead characters. Where the story runs in a different order, switch to Story order. Crossover books are marked and listed under their main series. Use My books to track what you have read.

Rebus

25 books · Set in EdinburghPolice procedural
  1. 1Knots and Crosses1987With John RebusBuy on Amazon
  2. 2Hide and Seek1991With John RebusBuy on Amazon
  3. 3Tooth and Nail1992With John RebusBuy on Amazon
  4. 4Strip Jack1992With John RebusBuy on Amazon
  5. 5The Black Book1993With John RebusBuy on Amazon
  6. 6Mortal Causes1994With John RebusBuy on Amazon
  7. 7Let It Bleed1995With John RebusBuy on Amazon
  8. 8Black and Blue1997With John RebusBuy on Amazon
  9. 9The Hanging Garden1998With John RebusBuy on Amazon
  10. 10Dead Souls1999With John RebusBuy on Amazon
  11. 11Set in Darkness2000With John RebusBuy on Amazon
  12. 12The Falls2001With John RebusBuy on Amazon
  13. 13Resurrection Men2002With John RebusBuy on Amazon
  14. 14A Question of Blood2003With John RebusBuy on Amazon
  15. 15Fleshmarket Close2004With John RebusBuy on Amazon
  16. 16The Naming of the Dead2006With John RebusBuy on Amazon
  17. 17Exit Music2007With John RebusBuy on Amazon
  18. 18Standing in Another Man’s Grave2012With John RebusBuy on Amazon
  19. 19Saints of the Shadow Bible2013With John RebusBuy on Amazon
  20. 20Even Dogs in the Wild2015With John RebusBuy on Amazon
  21. 21Rather Be the Devil2016With John RebusBuy on Amazon
  22. 22In a House of Lies2018With John RebusBuy on Amazon
  23. 23A Song for the Dark Times2020With John RebusBuy on Amazon
  24. 24A Heart Full of Headstones2022With John RebusBuy on Amazon
  25. 25Midnight and Blue2024With John RebusBuy on Amazon

Malcolm Fox

2 books · Set in EdinburghPolice procedural
  1. 1The Complaints2009With Malcolm FoxBuy on Amazon
  2. 2The Impossible Dead2011With Malcolm FoxBuy on Amazon

Characters

12 recurring and key characters, with the book each one first appears in.

Rebus and his circle

Malcolm Fox

Edinburgh’s underworld